Vanity case



E. RAY 'VVANITY CASE March 18, 1941.

Filed Feb. 27, 19:59

INVENTOR Evelyn Ray ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 18, 19

PATENT OFFICE I 2,235,687 vam'rr case Evelyn Bay, New York, N. Y.

Application February 27, 1939, Serial No. 258,780

2 Claims.

This invention relates to vanity cases including a pair of hingedly connected sections, one section constituting the body of the case arranged to carry cosmetics and the other section serving as a cover for the body arranged with a mirror for use in the application of cosmetics, and the case carrying illuminating means, such as an electric lamp connected in circuit with a battery or dry cell having a circuit making and breaking switch interposed in a circuit thereof.

It is the object of the invention to provide an improved construction and arrangement of vanity case of this character and provide an improved arrangement of circuit making and breaking means in the lamp circuit adapted to be actuated automatically to close the lamp circuit when the cover is moved away from the body of the case to gain access to the contents therein and actuated to circuit opening position when the cover is moved to body closing position.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the casing showing the same in closed condition.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the casing with the cover moved to open position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the case taken on the line 4-4 oi Figure 1 and showing the arrangement of a contact terminal in circult with a terminal of the cell and insulated from the case.

Figure 5 is a detail view in section to show the circuit making and breaking means in the lamp circuit and showing the sections of the case in closed position with the circuit making means in circuit opening position. i

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the cover partly moved away from the body of the case and the circuit making means in circuit closing position; and

Figure 7 is a view showing the lamp and cell circuit.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the case is of rectangular form although it may be of any other suitable shape and consists of a pair of peripherally flanged sections 8, 9 with the flange of said sections extended inwardly, as at 8', 9'. The sections are hingedly connected, as at H), the sections in "osed condition assuming the position shown in Figure 2 with the inturned flanges 8',

9' in engagement. The section 9 constitutes the body of the case and is provided with partitions separating the same into compartments to contain rouge, powder and the like. The case is also adapted to carry a container Ii tor a lipstick, shown as of cylindrical form having a diameter greater than the thickness of the case and of less length than the-width oi the case. To adapt the case to carry the container II the cover section 8 is provided with a transverse opening l2, shown as adjacent the hinged connection 01 the cover with the body and said opening being of a. length sub stantially the same as that of the container II and of a width less than the diameter of said container whereby the container II is adapted to partly project through said opening in the closing position of the cover with the opposite longitudinal walls of said opening engaging the container l I above the axis thereof and thus retaining the container in the case.

The cover of the case is adapted to carry on the inner side thereof a battery or dry cell l3 and an electric lamp H, which are adapted to be enclosed in the case in the closed position of the cover. For this purpose the cover is arranged with an outwardly pressed portion l5 having a part of arcuate iormin cross section extending transversely of and at the end of the cover section opposite its hinged connection with the body and in which the cell I3 is supported with one terminal grounded in the cover by spring clips l6 fixed to the cover. This outwardly pressed portion of the cover section has a bulbous part II arranged intermediate the ends of the part I5 and extending toward the end of the cover sectio A socket member I8 is arranged for threaded electric connection of a threaded terminal of a lamp I 4, the socket being fixed to and in electrical connection with the cover section to ground said terminal of the lamp therein. The other or central terminal of the lamp when mounted in the socket is adapted to make electric connection with a resilient member l9 fixed to and insulated from the cover section and extended through an opening in the socket member l8, as clearly shown in Figure 2.

To electrically connect the lamp in circuit with the battery l3 with interposed circuit making and breaking means the other terminal of the battery is it. electric connection with a yielding contact maker 20 (Figure 4) mounted on and insulated from the cover section, as at 2|. The contact sulat'ed from the cover by an insulator member 25 engaged upon the flange 24. The contact member id in electrical connection with the center terminal of the lamp is connected by conductor 26 to a spring contact maker 21 flxed and insulated at one end from the cover and the free end disposed above the contact 23 engaging the head of a pin 28 extended through the opening in the contact 23 and slidably engaging in the flanged opening 2'4, the opening in contact 23 being of greater diameter than the flange opening 24 and the pin 28 and out of electrical connection with the latter. Thelamp it projects from the cover a distance greater than the depth of the body and to adapt the body to accommodate the lamp in the closed position of the cover a bulbous portion 9a is pressed outwardly from the bottom of the body. A mirror 29 is mounted on the inner side of the cover between the opening it and battery (13 adapted to be illuminated by the lamp M.

In Figure 7 there is shown diagrammatically the electrical connections between the lamp with the cell and the interposed circuit making and breaking means and the parts representative thereof have been given the same reference characters.

By providing the cover with the opening it through which the container it may project in the closed condition of the case, arranging the cover with the outwardly pressed portions i8,

i! and maintaining the battery and lamp therein and providing the body with the'outwardly pressed portion for the engagement of the lamp in the closed condition of the case, the remainder of the body and cover may be made relatively and adapt the same to be readily carried in a hand bag. The opening in the contact member 23 is arranged concentric of and of greater diameter than the opening in the flange portion 25, whereby the contact making pin 28 is adapted to slidably engage the flange 25 without contacting the wall of the opening in the contact member 23. In the position of the cover to close the case the pin by engaging the angularly projecting portion 9' of the body flange is actuated to position with the head out of contact with the contact member 23 and thereby opening the circuit, the pin being moved to said position as the cover is moved to case closing position. As the cover is released from the body to open the vcase the spring contact 2? will actuate the pin to engage the head thereof with the contact member 23 and it will be retained in said position as long as the cover is in case opening position.

Having described my invention; I claim:

1. In a vanity case, a body, a cover hinge'dly connected thereto, said cover having an outwardly pressed portion adjacent the end opposite the hinged connection of the cover, a mirror'mounted on the inside of the cover between said outwardly pressed portion and hinged connection of the cover with the body, means to removably mount a lamp and a battery on the cover within said outwardly pressed portion adapted for electrical connection and grounding of one terminal oi the lamp and battery in the cover and the lamp mounting arranged to position the lamp to extend beyond the face.of the mirror, and a switch mounted on the cover connected to the other terminal of the lamp and battery, including a fixed contact terminal and a contact terminal movable into and out of contact with said fixed terminal and normally urged into and retained in engagement with the fixed terminal in the case opening position of the cover and adapted'to be actuated to and retained out of contact with the fixed contact terminal by the body in the case closing position of the cover.

2. In a vanity case including hingedly connected body and cover members each provided with a flange having the marginal portion extended inwardly and adapted to lie in contiguous relation in the closed condition of the case, a mirror mounted on the inner side of the cover member, said mirror being of less length than the cover member and spaced inwardly from the outer end thereof, a lamp and a battery in electrical connection therewith mounted on the inher side of the cover member outwardly of the mirror, the mounting of the lamp being arranged to position the lamp to extend beyond the face of the mirror, and said body and cover members arranged to enclose the lamp and battery in the case closing position of the cover member, and

\ a switch interposed in the lamp and battery circult comprising a perforated contact member carried within and insulated from the inwardly extending portion of the flange of the cover member concentric to an opening therein of less diameter than the opening in the contact member and electrically connected to a terminal adapted for electrical connection of a terminal of the battery, a headed pin extended through the opening in said contact member and slidably engaging the opening in the cover flange, a yielding member electrically connected to a second contact member mounted on the cover member adapted for the electrical connection of a terminal of the lamp engaging and urging said pin into the opening in the cover flange and the head thereof into engagement with the first contact member to close the circuit and retain the pin in said poai tion in the open condition of the case, and said pin adapted to be actuated to move the head 

